The Masks We Wear
by jkkitty1
Summary: Some times our masks and costumes are an extension of personalities, and at April Dancers' Halloween party there are some real eye-openers.


**The Masks We Wear**

"**I really ****do not understand this idea. Dressing in weird costumes to celebrate the day of the dead. " Illya Kuryakin complained as he accompanied his sister Jo and partner Napoleon Solo to April Dancer's apartment. **

**Jo's Cleopatra outfit was a floor length gold satin dress with detailed blue trim belt and collar, a chiffon drape & jewel adorned cobra headpiece. Her knife was in a sheaf on her upper arm.**

**Napoleon's Julius Caesar costume included a long white robe, burgundy red shoulder draping with golden trim and a laurel wreath headband. A short Roman style sword hung at this side. His ankle gun was covered by the outfit.**

**April, when not on assignment, enjoyed throwing parties for her fellow agents on holidays. Today was her Halloween party and of course everyone was invited.****  
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><strong>**"Perhaps if you'd chosen a different costume it would've helped you enjoy the party more," Napoleon told him****. Jo and Napoleon had decided on Caesar and Cleopatra as they were one of the most romantic couples of their time.**

**Before he could respond, April opened the door with Mark standing behind her inviting them in, smiling at Illya's costume, "I see you decided to stay in character," she kidded him. She was dressed as little red riding hood, complete with basket and red cape but the shirt was very short, showing off her shapely legs. **

**Mark had on a costume from the Beatles Sgt.****Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band themed jacket in red with white ****and gold braiding on the chest and epaulettes on the shoulders along with matching red pants sporting a white stripe down the leg.**** A black wig covered his blond hair, while a pair of black glasses completed the look.**

**When they entered the room, they were met vampires, werewolves, hippies, Batmen, Spock, Elvis and other historical people****."**** The party was in full swing, food was set out, and drinks were flowing. Laughing and giggling could be heard. No talk of Thrush or assignments was allowed.**

**Jo had found Andreas dressed as a pirate dressed is satins, silks with a gold lamé sash and blue bandana with a sword dangling from his hip. **

**They joined the others dancing to the background music after she left Napoleon in the center of the group of secretaries. Wanda, dressed as a sexy black Feline, Lisa, as a sexy Hustler cop, and Maude, as a**** roaring twenties flapper ****surrounded him.**

"**Napoleon," Lisa Roger****said as she looked over his costume, "What are you wearing under that and can I search you later?" she said pointing to his toga. **

**He looked over at Lisa, his eyes roaming her skimpy outfit which showed her cleavage clearly. In his vision he found Jo in center of the dancing couples giving him the ****'****look' making him feel like a ****kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar.**

"**Trade secret and my date probably won't let you," he replied smiling at her. Jokes about drafts were being thrown around at his expense which he took with grace. **

**When he looked around for his partner, he found him standing in a corner holding a platter filled with food. Napoleon had been surprised when Illya had agreed to come with them tonight, and then realized the he had done so for the sake of his sister. He noticed that since his partner had been reunited with Jo, he was trying to open up more for her sake. He knew this change was hard for his partner, as he was a very private man. **

**Every time someone went over to speak to Illya, he answered them briefly and politely but offered nothing more, and within a few minutes the person left looking for more amicable company. **

**Napoleon pulled Jo into his arms as they danced, "He looks so alone," Jo she said, glancing in her brother's direction. "What can we do to make him feel more comfortable?" **

**"You do know that he's only here because of you, don't you?" Napoleon was surprised when he saw the stunned look in her eyes. "He usually he doesn't come to anything like this. When April invited us, he told her he would come to make sure you had a good time."**

**Jo knew her brother was a loner with only a few friends and only one true friend, but she had been so busy adapting to her new life, she hadn't realized much he kept to himself.**

**"Okay, so how do we bring him out of the corner besides moving the food table?" she asked. She decided that if he was making sure she had a good time, turnabout was fair play.**

**"He's only comfortable with the things he knows," Napoleon said, "And I don't think too many people here know about Quantum Science."**

**Soon April, Mark, Napoleon, and Jo put their heads together and shortly the smiles on their faces after their pow-wow showed that they had come up with an idea. **

**Surrounding Illya, they maneuvered him into a chair sitting in the middle of the floor. Mark handled him a guitar while Jo told him she and April needed accompaniment****. **

**"I really do not think that you need me," he said attempting to get out of it. **

**"Only one or two songs then you can go back and pout in the corner," April pleaded.**

**"What about Mark?" Illya inquired "It is his guitar. And I was not pouting, I was eating."**

**"I noticed that. Mark has something else that he has to do. Come on Illya," the two women sulked.**

**"****Okay, but just two songs," he grabbed the guitar and tuned it. "What is it you want to play?"**

"**Pick something to warm it up," April offered. Shrugging his shoulders he began with **_**The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery**__**. **_**Others in the room stopped speaking to listen to him play.**

**He began playing current songs such I'm A Believer, Stand By Your Man, and Light My Fire while April and Jo sang. Twist and Shout had many of the physically fit agents collapsing on the floor from exhaustion. **

**Soon, a sing-a-long was had started, while others were singing Napoleon ensured that food and drink were always within the Russian's reach. Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka dot Bikini had the whole room laughing especially when Lisa mimicked the actions of the song. When Illya played Wipe Out everyone was clapping along with him. **

**It was easy to see by the smile on his face, Illya was enjoying himself whether he wanted to or not.**

**It was getting into the wee hours as people began to leave, Illya finally becoming aware of the time that had passed. He saw Mark dancing with April while Napoleon and Jo were together. **

**After he finished the song he was playing, Illya put down the guitar and headed toward the group. **

"**Oh, oh. I think he figured it out," Mark said.**

**Illya stood in front of the four agents, "You set me up," he stated coolly then turned to Mark. "What was it that was so important that you could not play?"**

"**Gov, I have a rep to uphold. Had to dance with all the birds you know," Mark offered with a grin from ear to ear. **

"**And you two were supposed to be singing," he accused April and Jo.**

"**We sang some songs," they reminded him while smiling.**

"**And you," he turned to his partner who managed to hide his smile before facing him, "You encouraged it."**

"**You had fun, admit it," Napoleon challenged his friend and partner.**

"**Well, I did find it entertaining," the others found themselves smiling at him, knowing they would get nothing more in the way of acknowledgement.****  
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**Illya stood in his bedroom looking at himself in the mirror. His costume was totally black including a turtleneck, jeans, boots, and jacket. ****When he looked in the mirror, he saw that he had hidden his true self with black grease paint as he had on missions. **

**Tonight he learned one thing. He no longer needed to hide when he was with his friends. With that thought he wiped his blacken face, he was accepted for who he was by those who care about him, and that was enough for now.**


End file.
